Ireland Wins Three ‘Best in the World’ Titles at the Gourmand Awards 2016

The 21st Gourmand World Awards took place on May 29th in Yantai, China with a strong presence from Ireland with three wins on the night.

The prestigious awards are the only international culinary publishing awards recognising the best in food and drink writing across the globe. With categories in print, digital and television, the Gourmand World Awards are regarded as the ‘Oscars of Culinary Publishing‘ and celebrate international food culture across all its platforms.

Founded in 1995 by Edouard Cointreau, the awards honour those who ‘cook with words’ and have cultivated an international network of writers, chefs and food lovers. The awards help readers to distinguish between books and introduces publishers to foreign markets.

Over two hundred countries were represented at this year’s awards and over 3,000 guests attended the exclusive awards show in Yantai at the end of the month.

The Irish winners on the night were:

Gourmand Award for Best Digital Food Magazine in the World: TheTaste.ieGourmand Award for Best Seafood Cookbook in the World: Sea Gastronomy by Michael O’Meara (Oscars Seafood Bistro, Galway)Gourmand Prestige Award by the International Jury: Chef Interrupted by Trevis Gleason

Ireland’s leading online food and beverage magazine TheTaste.ie took Best Digital Food Magazine in the World. The magazine is a culinary labour of love by husband and wife team Keith and Jules Mahon who started the venture from their kitchen table in Glasnevin, Dublin just 18 months ago. In that time the magazine has built up a readership of 1.7 million and through events, collaborations and partnerships has generated €2.2 million in revenue for restaurants, hotels and bars across Ireland.

With a core team of dedicated writers and contributors, TheTaste.ie is committed to showcasing the very best in Irish food, drink and accommodation, highlighting the innovators and adventurers within our burgeoning hospitality community. From farmers to food producers, fine dining chefs to street food vendors, brewers and distillers, hotels, country homes and everything in between, TheTaste.ie is a celebration of great modern Irish hospitality.

Facing down competition from over 100 online publications, TheTaste.ie triumphed in a fast-growing and highly competitive category over publications from Canada and the USA. Keith Mahon considers the award a reflection of the immense impact that Ireland is making on the world food and beverage stage:

It is the quality and beauty of fresh Irish produce and the culinary innovations of Irish chefs and restaurateurs that enable us to produce TheTaste.ie. Without the product, there would be no magazine and really this Award belongs as much to the Irish hospitality community as it does to The Taste team. We are delighted to receive the Award, to win for Ireland at such a prestigious global event is a true honour.

Galway chef Michael O’Meara who runs the award winning Oscars Seafood Bistro in Galway took the Gourmand Award for Best Seafood Cookbook in the World for his publication Sea Gastronomy (Artisan House). Speaking at the awards he said,

It was an incredible experience to travel to China for the Awards, meeting so many people from around the world, all filled with an absolute passion for food. The pride we felt when Sea Gastronomy was announced as the winner is indescribable. And then to have two more Irish wins! We were overwhelmed.

Dingle based former award winning chef, culinary director and world renowned Multiple Sclerosis blogger Trevis Gleason was presented with a Prestige Award by the International Jury for his book Chef Interrupted – Discovering Life’s Second Course in Ireland (Coffeetown Press):

The Gourmand Awards do not have a memoir category, but they felt Chef Interrupted was worth review for an award of special merit. For the book to be nominated to represent Ireland was beyond belief. To be given the Prestige Award by the International Jury was, indeed, an honour and surprise.

For more information on the Gourmand Awards or interviews with any of the winners please email info@thetaste.ie.

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About TheTaste.ie

We want TheTaste to be a culinary kaleidoscope to champion every taste, food, wine, cocktails, whiskey, etc. We are delighted to be part of such a creative and fast moving industry and are very passionate about sharing with you our unique journey around Ireland finding the best culinary hotspots.